Aircraft



` sept-16,1930.

' 'A. P. {MURS-ram 1,775,977

I AIRCRAFT I Filed D66. 21, 192e 2 sheets-sheet 1 @mi Pewwsm lNvE NToR;

"Kif Attorney.

Sept. 16, 1930. A P THURS'TQN 1,775,977

AIRCRAFT v Filed'nec. 21, 1928. 2 sheets-sheet 2 il Iliff' J 0^ 25 A.5y 3@ I @WEA vete* wvk on INVENTOR;

@MMI iw Attorney.

Patented SeptylG, 1930 UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE ALBERT PETER THURSTON, OF LONDON, ENGLAND AIRCRAFT Application 11ed`December 21, 1928, Serial No, 327,594, and in Great Britain February 16, 1928.

This invention relates to improved wings and lplanes and means for controlling such wings and planes of aircraft, and particularly relates to such craft provided with the means of control set forth in the prior British Patents Nos. 180,359 and 186,990.

In these specificationsl means for controlling the craft were provided, such as alulas, pinions, ailerons or small planes. placed at the places of most eicient action along the front or tips of the wings whereby their action alters the aerodynamic properon ties of the Wings themselves giving maximum lift when landing and maximum efficiency for fast flying.

The primary object of this invention is to ,provide improved means for controlling or stabilizing aircraft.

`Accordin to this invention aircraft are provided with wings each having a movable surface or main pinion projecting from its side with a projectable pinion or pinions or alulas mounted onrits front edge to prevent burbling or stalling." Means may be provided for operating the said movable surfaces or main pinions either in opposite directions 'or in the same direction for the purpose of cont trolling the craft laterally orf converting the 'Wings into high lift or h igh speed wings at will.

TheV main pinion, plane or aileron hereinafter called the main pinion, is pivotally or rotatably mounted, towards its leading edge, on the side of the main wing projecting beyond its spanl so as to turn about an axis transverse to the direction of ight as inthe prior British Patent 186,990 and a small` plane, pinion or alula, hereinafter called an alula such asd set forth in the prior British Patent No. 180,359 ismounted in front of and abovethe shaped leading edgeof the main pinion to forin with thesaid shaped leading edge a gap backwardly inclined upwards at a negative "angle with the .main pinion; means' being provided for permitting variation ofthel amount of projection and/or the inclination of the said alula on one side only or on both sides of the craft simultaneously so that the alulas may be carried against the nos of the main pinion when at a low c ase for angle and automatically or otherwise extended when at a large angle. A

The main pinion may be controlled by a -rear flap or aileron or by a rear pinion or pinions, means being provided in the latter projecting the said pinion or' pinions rearwardly and rotating it or them at a negative angle to the relative air so 'that the rear edge of the main pinion is depressed and its inclination to the air increased. The alula or alulas is or are preferably mounted links carried by downward projections on the main pinion and the rear pinion or pinions is or are mounted on links carried by upward projections from the upper surface of the re'ar edge of the main pinion.

The means for operating the main pinion or the rear pinion oriboth the alula and the rear pini'onformthe main pinion, alula and rear pinion, may be controlled from the joystick or'control column in any known way such as that set forth in the prior British Patent No. 180,359.

The alula or alulas may be mounted on the main pinion in'an of the Ways set forth in the rior British applications Nos. 3,288/28 and 3,289/28 preferably on parallel links so as to be projectable parallel to the main pinion and its front edge simultaneously rotatable downwards and the rear pinion or pinions may be similarly mounted so as to be projectable `backwards and its leading edge simultaneously rotatable downwards so that the main pinion may be placed at a positive angle with the rear pinion or pinions.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings,

l Figure 8 is a crosssection of Figure 7 to a larger scale.

Figure 9 is a plan of a still further modification. v

Figure is a cross section of lFigure 9 to a larger scale.

Figure 11 is a cross' section of yet another modiication;

Referring to Figure 1, each wing 1 is provided with a set of three pinons consisting of a main pinion 2 pivoted or floating on the hollow shaft 2 and having an automaticallyl opening alula 3 mounted on its front edge by links 5, 6, and a movable pinion 4 at its rear edge by links 7, 8 for controlling the main vpinion 2 in the relative air by means of cables 7 a, 7*.

In the modifications shown in Figures 2 to 6 inclusive the alula 3 and rear ypinion 4 are mounted on links 9, 10, 11 and l12 respectively'turning about axes 13 transverse to the main pinion and connected together by -links 24 so that both the alula 3 andthe rear pinion 4 are projected away from the'sides of the main wing when they move away from the main pinion 1.

The said axes 13, may be ,inclined relatively to the main pinion and the alula and rear pinion in order that the alula and rear pinion may be at the desired position or angle relatively to the main pinion. The links 9 and-10 maybe provided with a side extension 14 having a ball connection 19 witha lever 15 which is fixed to the alula 3. The lever 15 is pivoted by a trunnion 16 to a block 18 which in turn is pivoted by a trunnion 17 to the leo ver 9 or 10the axes of the trunnions 16 and :sol

17 being at right angles. The links 11 and 12 may be similarly connected tothe rear pinion 4. By these means the alula 3 and rear pinion 4 may be rotated through desired angles as they move away from the main pinion 1. The rear pinion 4 is controlled from the -oystick or control column 20 and control w eel 21 by cables 7a, 7", passing through the hollow shaft 2 upon which the main pinion 1 ioats and over pulleys 22 on the control column 20'and over fixed pulleys 23.

The alula 3 and rear pinion4 may be interconnected so as to balance one another by anysuitable mechanism, such'as engaging toothed quadrants. The links 9 and 10 connecting the alulas 3 to the main pinion. 2 may be shorter than those connecting the rear pinion 4. The interconnecting mechanism may be such that the alula 3 is not projected away from the main pinion 2 until. the rear pinion 4 is moved a certain distance from the rear of the main pinion 2 whereby the alula 3 does not come into operation until the main pinion 2 is at a large angle.

The ioating main pinion 2 may be lprol videdas shown in Figures- 1, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 with a pair of downwardly extending'fprojections 25qfrom its front edge to each o which an alula 3 is connected by` a pair of pivoted links 5, 6 which may be of diiferent length to rotate the alula 3 the desired amount.

Similarly the rear edge of the main pinion 2 may be provided, asishown in Figure 1, with a pair of upwardly extending projections 26 to each of which the'rear pinion 4 is connected by pairs of similar links 7, 8 and it is controlled as previously described.

- In the modification shown in Figures 9 and 10, the iloating pinion 2 is provided with the usual aileron flap 28 hinged to its rear ed e. n the modification shown in Figure 11 the rear pinion 29 is pivoted so as to turn about an axis 30 vbehind its front edge 31.

The Amain wings may be provided with alul las 3 asset forth in the prior British applications Nos. 3,288/28 and 3,289/28 either free to open automatically without restraint or against a spring 27 or. under control from the cockpit. An airvane or other air directional device'niay be provided as set forth in Brit. ish application No. 3,291/28 for controlling the interconnection of the control gear of the rear pinion 4 with the alulas 3.

The operation of the control is Aas follows :-,-On the control lever 20 being operated sideways the rear pinion 4 on the opposite side is moved away from the rear of the ion 2 and -thus increasing its inclination and exerting a lifting force on that side of the machine. At the same time the operation of the floating pinion 2 sets up a bank of corn'- pression and suction at the tip vof the main plane which increases-the lift over the whole of pinions, 2, 3, 4 on a transverse axis as in the prior British Patent 186,990 the pinions run in relative air'and their action is not affected, shielded or vitiated bythe attitude of the machine itself and hence eifective aileron control willbe maintained even if the. l machine is stalled. Byfsuitably proportioning the'three pinion device as previously de scribed the stalling angleI of the wing may be increased to such an extent thatitinay be unnecessary to provide automatically opening or controlled alulas over the main wings.

- Any convenient meansor stops may be proias 95 floating main pinion 2 causing a downward force to be exerted on the said floating pin.

vided to limit the opening of the alulas and "rear pinions.

I claim: i 1. Aircraft having a wing, a, inion of substantially airfoil contour pivota 1y mounted on the end of the win a smal pinion pivoted at the rear of the rst pinion, a nose vane movably mounted relative the entering edge of said first mentioned pinion to define lo a slot, means for moving the small pinion on its pivot so as tov aerodynamically cause a change in the angulan'disposition of said first mentioned pinion, and means operatively associated with said small pinion for moving the vane relative the entering edge of said first mentioned pinion.

2. In aircraft, a main wing, a pinion of substantially airfoil contour pivotally mounted on the end of said main Wing, a rearward flap and a forward alula' each mounted on leversto pivot on axes transverse to the line of light, means connecting the levers for simultaneous operation whereby the iap and alula are simultaneously moved relative to the pinion, and means under the control of the operator for swin in said levers.

ALBERTI T RTHURSTON. 

